來源：MJJCN.com / blogspot.com 編譯：Badthriller
從5歲起，我就在紐約市的各大錄音室唱廣告歌、樣帶、甚至音樂專輯。妹妹、弟弟和我在格洛麗婭•艾斯特芬（Gloria Estefan）、麗莎•明尼裡（Liza Minelli）、莫琳•麥克葛雯（Maureen McGovern）的專輯上唱過，甚至加拿大銅管樂團的聖誕專輯上獨唱過。有一天，母親接到電話有人約我們去“金曲工廠”錄音室（Hit Factory）錄音。我們不知道要為誰唱歌，那邊只允許一個家長帶一個孩子，我們的興趣一下子被吊了起來。我們接下來幾天想搞清楚是為誰做神秘錄音，於是決定帶三張CD封面去 —— 弗蘭克•辛納屈（Frank Sinatra，他當時還活著）、麥當娜（Madonna）和邁克爾•傑克遜（Michael Jackson）。
我們去了錄音室，某人告訴我們只要唱一個詞……“童年”。他給我們唱了一兩次，然後就開始錄音。我們在耳機裡只聽到音樂，沒有主音，還是不清楚這是為什麼為誰而唱。唱了幾次這個詞後，我看到一個人從錄音室後的玻璃走了出來，戴著黑色帽子、穿著紅色T恤、額前一綹鬈髮。我們聽到對講機裡有人說：“你們能這樣唱一次嗎……‘童年’。”一聽到這個聲音，我就拉住妹妹的手說：“這是邁克爾•傑克遜！！！！”
我又賣力地唱了十幾次“童年”，錄音師謝了我們，說搞定了。我們回到休息室，父母正在等待，我從媽媽手上搶過《飆》（Bad）專輯的封面，帶給邁克爾的助理。我問她是否願意拿給邁克爾簽名，其他孩子也開始撕紙要給他簽名，他們不像我們家做足了準備！！
助理說：“我來看看能做什麼。”她消失了5分鐘，然後回來說：“孩子們能跟我走嗎？”我們跟她去了“金曲工廠”錄音室的一間房間前，門上有顆星，上面寫了“傑克遜”。我們進了房間，他在門口歡迎我們，握手、微笑，說很高興見到我們。你能想像得到嗎？很高興見到我們？？他的房間裡有一些很奇怪的東西：真人大小的“超級戰隊”（ Power Rangers）模型、一套玩具火車和一個在旋轉的巨大地球儀。他把自己幫過的孩子的照片貼在他們來自的國家上。
邁克爾問了我們許多問題，像是我們是否去過夏令營。他說他總問父母自己能否去夏令營，因為看起來非常好玩，但他們告訴他不行！！當時媒體正懷疑他是不是跟麗莎•瑪麗•普雷斯利（Lisa Marie Presley）結婚了。我注意到他戴了枚戒指，我說：“這枚戒指是不是意味著你和麗莎•瑪麗結婚了？”他點點頭說：“噓。”我們聊了會兒，他在我們的專輯封面上簽了名，我們回家後覺得這一天是我生命中最棒的一天。
過了一兩周，母親接到另一個電話。這一次，她說邁克爾讓我們回錄音室錄一首聖誕歌曲。當時是7月，但我們去錄音室時，那裡被裝飾成過節的樣子。地上滿是雪花，有棵樹、有個聖誕老人送了我們每人一份禮物（我們每人得到一個任天堂遊戲機）、還有馴鹿。邁克爾這次走進了錄音室，沒有躲在玻璃後，我猜他放鬆了許多。他親自教會我們這首歌，當我們唱歌時和我們一起在隔音室。錄完這首歌後，他邀請我們的家長進錄音室，好好款待了大家。我們坐在鋼琴旁，他彈鋼琴，我們唱聖誕歌曲，就像在聖誕前夜。
當2009年6月25日，全世界震驚於邁克爾•傑克遜的離世時，所有的記憶湧回了我的心頭。
從5歲起，我就在紐約市的各大錄音室唱廣告歌、樣帶、甚至音樂專輯。妹妹、弟弟和我在格洛麗婭•艾斯特芬（Gloria Estefan）、麗莎•明尼裡（Liza Minelli）、莫琳•麥克葛雯（Maureen McGovern）的專輯上唱過，甚至加拿大銅管樂團的聖誕專輯上獨唱過。有一天，母親接到電話有人約我們去“金曲工廠”錄音室（Hit Factory）錄音。我們不知道要為誰唱歌，那邊只允許一個家長帶一個孩子，我們的興趣一下子被吊了起來。我們接下來幾天想搞清楚是為誰做神秘錄音，於是決定帶三張CD封面去 —— 弗蘭克•辛納屈（Frank Sinatra，他當時還活著）、麥當娜（Madonna）和邁克爾•傑克遜（Michael Jackson）。
我們去了錄音室，某人告訴我們只要唱一個詞……“童年”。他給我們唱了一兩次，然後就開始錄音。我們在耳機裡只聽到音樂，沒有主音，還是不清楚這是為什麼為誰而唱。唱了幾次這個詞後，我看到一個人從錄音室後的玻璃走了出來，戴著黑色帽子、穿著紅色T恤、額前一綹鬈髮。我們聽到對講機裡有人說：“你們能這樣唱一次嗎……‘童年’。”一聽到這個聲音，我就拉住妹妹的手說：“這是邁克爾•傑克遜！！！！”
我又賣力地唱了十幾次“童年”，錄音師謝了我們，說搞定了。我們回到休息室，父母正在等待，我從媽媽手上搶過《飆》（Bad）專輯的封面，帶給邁克爾的助理。我問她是否願意拿給邁克爾簽名，其他孩子也開始撕紙要給他簽名，他們不像我們家做足了準備！！
助理說：“我來看看能做什麼。”她消失了5分鐘，然後回來說：“孩子們能跟我走嗎？”我們跟她去了“金曲工廠”錄音室的一間房間前，門上有顆星，上面寫了“傑克遜”。我們進了房間，他在門口歡迎我們，握手、微笑，說很高興見到我們。你能想像得到嗎？很高興見到我們？？他的房間裡有一些很奇怪的東西：真人大小的“超級戰隊”（ Power Rangers）模型、一套玩具火車和一個在旋轉的巨大地球儀。他把自己幫過的孩子的照片貼在他們來自的國家上。
邁克爾問了我們許多問題，像是我們是否去過夏令營。他說他總問父母自己能否去夏令營，因為看起來非常好玩，但他們告訴他不行！！當時媒體正懷疑他是不是跟麗莎•瑪麗•普雷斯利（Lisa Marie Presley）結婚了。我注意到他戴了枚戒指，我說：“這枚戒指是不是意味著你和麗莎•瑪麗結婚了？”他點點頭說：“噓。”我們聊了會兒，他在我們的專輯封面上簽了名，我們回家後覺得這一天是我生命中最棒的一天。
過了一兩周，母親接到另一個電話。這一次，她說邁克爾讓我們回錄音室錄一首聖誕歌曲。當時是7月，但我們去錄音室時，那裡被裝飾成過節的樣子。地上滿是雪花，有棵樹、有個聖誕老人送了我們每人一份禮物（我們每人得到一個任天堂遊戲機）、還有馴鹿。邁克爾這次走進了錄音室，沒有躲在玻璃後，我猜他放鬆了許多。他親自教會我們這首歌，當我們唱歌時和我們一起在隔音室。錄完這首歌後，他邀請我們的家長進錄音室，好好款待了大家。我們坐在鋼琴旁，他彈鋼琴，我們唱聖誕歌曲，就像在聖誕前夜。
當2009年6月25日，全世界震驚於邁克爾•傑克遜的離世時，所有的記憶湧回了我的心頭。
A Personal Story about Michael Jackson
This post is by Joe's wife, Caryn Elefante.
From the time I was five years old I have been singing in studios all over NYC for commercials, demos and even music albums. My sister, brother and I have sung on albums for Gloria Estefan, Liza Minelli, Maureen McGovern and even soloed on the Canadian Brass Christmas album. One day, my mother got a call from our contractor booking us for a recording at the Hit Factory. We weren't allowed to know for whom we were singing and we were only allowed one parent per child. Our interest was peaked. We spent the next few days trying to figure out who this mystery recording could be for. We decided to bring three CD covers with us- Frank Sinatra (he was still alive at the time), Madonna and Michael Jackson.
From the time I was five years old I have been singing in studios all over NYC for commercials, demos and even music albums. My sister, brother and I have sung on albums for Gloria Estefan, Liza Minelli, Maureen McGovern and even soloed on the Canadian Brass Christmas album. One day, my mother got a call from our contractor booking us for a recording at the Hit Factory. We weren't allowed to know for whom we were singing and we were only allowed one parent per child. Our interest was peaked. We spent the next few days trying to figure out who this mystery recording could be for. We decided to bring three CD covers with us- Frank Sinatra (he was still alive at the time), Madonna and Michael Jackson.
We went to the studio and some guy told us we were going to be singing one word... "Childhood". He sang it for us once or twice then began recording. All we heard in the cans (headphones) were tracks with no lead vocal. We still couldn't figure out what or whom this was for. After singing the one word a few times, I saw a man behind the glass in the recording studio step forward out of the darkness with a black hat, a red shirt and a black curl in front of his face. On the talkback we heard, "Can you sing it a little more like this... Childhood" As soon as I heard the voice I grabbed my sister's hand and spoke without moving my lips "It's MICHAEL JACKSON!!!!"
I cooly sang "Childhood" about a dozen more times and the engineer thanked us and said we were done. We went back to the green room where our parents were waiting and I grabbed theBad album cover from my mom and brought it to Michael's assistant. I asked her if she could please bring it to Michael and have him sign it. The other kids who sang with us began ripping little pieces of paper for him to sign. They were no where near as prepared as my family!!
The assistant said "Let me see what I can do", and she disappeared for about five minutes. She came back and said, "Can I have all of the kids follow me?" We followed her to a door in the Hit Factory that had a star on it and said "Jackson". We went into the room and there he was, greeting us at the door with a hand shake and a smile and telling us that it was a pleasure to meet us. Can you imagine? A pleasure to meet us?? His room was filled with some pretty strange things: life-size cut-outs of the Power Rangers, a train set, and a giant globe that rotated. He had pictures of children that he had helped attached to the country they were from.
Michael had many questions for us like if any of us went to camp for the summer. He said that he always asked his parents if he could go to summer camp because it looked like so much fun and of course they told him no!! This was right around the time when the media was questioning whether or not he had married Lisa Marie Presley. I noticed a ring on his hand and I said, "so does that ring mean you are married to Lisa Marie?" He nodded his head yes and said "shhhhhh". We chatted for a while, he signed our album cover and we went home having what I thought was the greatest day of my life.
I cooly sang "Childhood" about a dozen more times and the engineer thanked us and said we were done. We went back to the green room where our parents were waiting and I grabbed theBad album cover from my mom and brought it to Michael's assistant. I asked her if she could please bring it to Michael and have him sign it. The other kids who sang with us began ripping little pieces of paper for him to sign. They were no where near as prepared as my family!!
The assistant said "Let me see what I can do", and she disappeared for about five minutes. She came back and said, "Can I have all of the kids follow me?" We followed her to a door in the Hit Factory that had a star on it and said "Jackson". We went into the room and there he was, greeting us at the door with a hand shake and a smile and telling us that it was a pleasure to meet us. Can you imagine? A pleasure to meet us?? His room was filled with some pretty strange things: life-size cut-outs of the Power Rangers, a train set, and a giant globe that rotated. He had pictures of children that he had helped attached to the country they were from.
Michael had many questions for us like if any of us went to camp for the summer. He said that he always asked his parents if he could go to summer camp because it looked like so much fun and of course they told him no!! This was right around the time when the media was questioning whether or not he had married Lisa Marie Presley. I noticed a ring on his hand and I said, "so does that ring mean you are married to Lisa Marie?" He nodded his head yes and said "shhhhhh". We chatted for a while, he signed our album cover and we went home having what I thought was the greatest day of my life.
A week or two later my mother got another call from our contractor. This time she said Michael wanted to have us back to the studio to record a Christmas song. It was July but when we got to the studio, it was decorated for the holidays. There was snow all over the ground, a tree, Santa who gave us all presents (we each got a Gameboy... tells you how long ago this was!!) and reindeer. Michael came walking right into the studio this time and didn't hide behind the glass. I guess he felt more comfortable with us this time. He taught us the song himself and stayed with us in the sound booth as we were singing it. After we recorded the song he invited our parents into the studio and had the whole thing catered. We sat around the piano as he played the piano and we all sang Christmas songs. It's just like Christmas Eve at the Elefante's (my in-laws)!!!
So on June 25th, when the whole world was in shock of Michael Jackson's death, these were the memories that all came flooding back for me.
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